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2 skiers killed in Colorado avalanche

The bodies of two missing skiers were found Sunday, Feb. 16, 2014, after an avalanche in Colorado the day before. The skiers were part of a group of seven skiers. Three others were injured; two were unhurt.
KUSA-TV, Denver

Janet Oravetz, KUSA-TV, Denver
10:08 p.m. EST February 16, 2014

An avalanche Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014, washed over seven back country skiers near Twin Lakes National Historic District in Colorado. The bodies of two skiers were found Sunday, Feb. 16, 2014.(Photo: Screen grab from KUSA-TV, Denver)

Story Highlights

Seven skiers were cross-country skiing when the avalanche occurred Saturday

"They had all the right equipment," said Lake County Sheriff Rod Fenske. "This just went bad, it just went wrong.

He said in the group of seven cross-country skiers, many were local — though the two people who died were from out of state.

"Why these people skied into it, I don't know," Fenske said.

It appears the group triggered the avalanche, he said.

The Lake County Office of Emergency Management said the slide was reported around 7 p.m. Saturday.

Seven skiers were near the top of the ridge that activated the avalanche.

One member of the group was able to use a cellphone to contact emergency responders even though the area had no cellphone reception.

Three people were taken to the hospital in Leadville, Colo., with various injuries. The injuries include: a broken leg, broken ankle a possible broken rib and a collapsed lung. One person was released from the hospital, as of Sunday. The others were transported to other hospitals because of their injuries.

The injured skiers did not come down quickly, said Betty Benson, Lake County public information officer.

"They were very slow in their descent, in essence crawling down," Benson said.

Two other skiers were not hurt.

Six people have died from avalanches in Colorado this year.

The avalanche happened near Leadville, about 80 miles southeast of Denver.